Restraining device



Aug. 7, 1934.

F'. A. MILLETT ET AL RESTRAINING DEVICE Filed Oct. 19, 1932 M Inventox [En If Waxy/ Attorney.

Patented g- 7, 1934 ATE? OFFICE RESTRAINING DEVICE Frank A. Millett and Signa A. Pace, Tacoma, Wash.

Application October 19, 1932, Serial No. 638,500

1 Claim.

Our invention relates to restraining devices of that sort employed principally in hospitals and asylums for securely holding in their beds patients Who are temporarily delirious, unruly 5 or permanently insane or demented, so as to prevent them from doing violence to themselves or to others.

Persons suffering from some diseases, such, for example, as fevers, often become temporarily delirious and violent, and it is necessary to fasten them in bed, so that they cannot harm themselves or others. In doing so it is desirable to provide a device that will hold the patient in as comfortable and natural position as possible and allow them all the freedom of movement that is compatable with safety. At the same time it is desirable to avoid burdening the patient with heavy and cumbersome fastenings which will tire and heat the body or excite and irritate the nerves.

The prime object of this invention is to provide a restraining device or devices for the purposes stated which can be worn without discomfort or fatigue, that is capable of being quickly and easily applied and fastened, and of securing the patient beyond the possibility of escape or of injury to himself or to others, and which at the same time does not cover any considerable portion of the body and can be adjusted to allow more or less freedom of body and limb. A further object is to provide a restraining device that can be put on over the patients night clothes, that does not interfere with the bed coverings, and that will allow the patient to be given proper care.

Our invention consists of specially devised chest strap with cuff-like attachments fixed thereon for securely holding the arms and wrists of the patient, and will be more fully described by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Figure 1 is a top View of the newly invented device with all parts open ready to be applied to the patient; Fig. 2 is side view of one of the cuff-like attachments closed as about the patients arm and securely buckled; Fig. 3 is a top View of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section view of one side rail of a patients bed and shows how each end of the invention is fixed to the bed; and Fig.

5 indicates how the invention is applied to a patient while confined on his bed. Figs. 2, 3

and 4 are enlarged to fully show details.

Similar characters refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

Referring to the drawing it will be seen that the invention consists of a stout strap 1 designed to be made of flexible material, such as strong woven cotton or of soft leather. 0n thisstrap 1 are fixed cuff-like attachments 2-2 designed to encircle the arms immediately above the elbows, as indicated in Fig. 5'. These cuffs are of the same strong material as the strap 1 and are to be lined with soft leather to avoid chafing or irritating the skin of the patient. Similar cuifs 3-3 are attached toward the center of 5 the strap 1, but are fixed at an angle to encircle the wrists with the fore arm placed inwardly and upwardly above the chest as indicated in Fig. 5. Each pair of cuffs is provided with. a pair of straps 4--4 with buckles 5- 5 with which they are to be securely fastened around the arms and wrists and hold the patient securely and comfortably in place on the bed B when the end straps 6 are buckled around the side rails R. of the bed as shown in Fig. 4.

It is to be observed that the patients arms can be secured within the cuffs before he is placed on the bed and the strap is fastened to the bed frame. Ihe strap 1 is designed to pass under the upper arms and thus smoothly on the patients chest. This allows the patient to have some freedom in that he can shift his body some though his arms are securely held on the strap 1.

It is to be further observed that if the patient be inclined to injure himself or others by scratching or otherwise, his hands can be confined in leather mittens commonly used in eX- treme cases.

It will be seen that the several parts of the restraining device are shown riveted together this being found the most secure method. The rivets are to be smooth headed or padded with soft leather to insurecomfort. The parts can be put together with stitches of stout thread, if so preferred.

Having described our invention, we claim:-

In a restraining device for demented patients, a chest restraining strap to be placed across the patients chest, means for securing the ends of said strap to the side rails of the patients bed, cuff-like attachments fixed on the upper side of said strap and at right angles therewith for the patients upper arms, and cuff-like attachments fixed at suitable angles on said strap for the patients wrists between and in alinement with said upper arm attachments.

FRANK A. MILLETT.

SIGNA A. PAGE. 

